Here is a really cool text effect, I thought I'd share with you..

this is done with PSP 9 but can use 8, X or Xl , with small differences. You don't need any outside plugins or supplies.... Just a FAT font and some cute preset shapes....

1. I started off with a 500 x 300 new transparent image.. *this really depends on the length of your name*  Fill this layer with #292525. Go to Adjust/add/remove noise/add noise... use the settings below.

2. Add a new raster layer, Click your Text tool and type your name, use a FAT font for this.. I used 'Ballonist SF' TTF. Have your font tool set on Vector, then after you type the name, right click on the vector layer on the layer palette and convert to raster.  Go to selections/select all  then selections/float  then selections again and DEFLOAT.  Selections/load-save selection/save selection to alpha channel.

3. Name your alpha channel.

 4. ADD a new raster layer. While your name is still selected with the alpha channel, go to Selections/modify/contract 3 pixels. Fill with a lighter version of the base color.. Here I used #D96490 fill the contracted area as shown below.

5. Now make sure your on the new added layer you just filled with the lighter color... keep it selected, use your move tool and slide the lighter fill over to right and down like I did below, then CUT or delete.

6. Unselect and use the move tool to move the light part you just cut off back into original position.

7. Like below then go to Adjust/ Blur/ Gaussian blur . Set the Radius to 2 or 3 depending on how much you want it to blur.

8. Add a new raster layer, go to Selections/Save-load alpha channel. Load your saved alpha channel name again. Then go to selections/modify/contract 3 pixels, and fill with white, like the sample below.

9. Making sure again that your on the new layer that you filled with white.. use your move tool and move the white to the left and up a lil, like the sample below.  CUT or Delete.

10. Unselect, the move the cut off white back into starting position, like below.

11. Use your Gaussian blur again with the radius at 2.

12.  Hide the bkg gray noise layer on the layer palette and merge/visible all the name layers. Apply a 3D drop shadow using the default setting to the name layer.

Making the Flower Dangler

13 . I used a preset flower shape I have you can make or use your own deco dangler that you want.. this is how I did mine..

14. I used a middle color for my dangler flower. I pulled out a small flower like below. When your happy with the size then right click on its vector layer and convert to raster layer.

14. Go to selections/select all/ float. then selections/modify/expand 3 pixels.

15. Fill with a darker color, then go to Effects/Texture effects/blinds and use these settings.

16. I added a new layer and drew a round selection with the selection tool set on circle. and filled it with a metal_brass gradient.. you can decorate your dangler any way you want.

17. To make the gold ring at the top of the dangler I used the preset shape tool in the oval, Mode was circle, and just had the gold gradient in the foreground box with the setting above and the background box null or transparent.  Use the settings below for the preset shape .

18. Draw out a small ring, like below you might have to zoom in to see it better.

19. Once you get the ring made right click on its vector layer and convert to raster. Use your eraser tool and erase the part of the ring that would be behind the dangle and not show.. like I did below then apply a 3D drop shadow on the ring.

20. I didn't show it but I put an extra flower shape in the center of the dangle made with the gold... but like I said you can decorate your dangle any way your lil hearts desires... hehe... Hide all the layers but the layers to the dangle flower and merge visible, Don't forget your drop shadow on the flower part.. and match it to the name shadow.. would look funny to have two different settings on them.

21. Now to make the chain for the dangle. I used the pen tool set on draw point to point-bezier curves. Line style Diamonds at 3 width.

I clicked up at the top of the O then at the top of the gold loop then pulled out the node to make the curve a bit, right click on vector layer convert to raster... did the same thing to the back side of the chain. If your not familiar with using the pen tool and bezier curves it takes some practice...

22. I merged the two pieces of chain and applied a 3D drop shadow using the settings below.

23. I merged all the dangle pieces.. the flower, chain and gold loop. Then duplicated that layer 2 times.. so I had 3 layers of dangle flower.

I used the deformation tool on the top two layers of the flower dangle, shown below. One I make swing to the left and one to the right.

NOTE:  when you resize or use deformation tool on something ALWAYS sharpen once..

24. Time to crop... all the extra around the name and flower dangler

25. Merge the name layer with the bkg layer. Rename it Name layer. then duplicate the name layer 2 times.. *having 3layers of it now* and pull one of the Dangler layers down above a name/bkg layer.. do to all the others same way.. so your layer palette should look like the one below.

26. Save as an animation (*.psp) file type format and open it in Animation shop.

Once you have the file open in animation shop... you need to duplicate one of the layers.. the one that the dangle is hanging down straight in middle.. and put it behind the last frame..  as you look at the frames you should have the first frame.. the dangler to the left.. then center then right then center ... so it will swing right.. and natural... you should have 4 layers when done... select all frames.. and right click on one and go to animation properties.. and change the timing from 10 to 30 or so.. depends on how fast you want it to swing. SAVE AS A GIF.... your done!!!

Below shows you don't have to use this same technique just on text but I used it on a heart shape.. the heart on the left has Eye Candy 3.01 Glass effect applied on it..

Its endless what you can use this shading technique on to make something look dimensional. Sky's the limit!!  till next time friends

Toodles..

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